this post was submitted on 14 Dec 2023
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2 men charged in 'killing spree' of over 3,000 birds, including bald eagles, in Montana (www.nbcnews.com)
submitted 11 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world
53 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Simon Paul and Travis John Branson were indicted for allegedly gunning down thousands of birds, including eagles protected by federal law, over the course of several years.

A grand jury indicted two men on charges of going on a yearslong "killing spree" of federally protected eagles and selling "this country's national symbol" on the black market, court documents revealed.

Simon Paul and Travis John Branson were each charged last week with one count of alleged conspiracy and 13 counts of violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Federal prosecutors said they have messages from Branson stating that he was "committing felonies" and "telling buyers he was 'on a killing spree' to obtain eagle tail feathers for future sales."

Branson would travel from Washington state to the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana to meet up with Paul who'd "help kill, transport and ship bald and golden eagles for future sales on the black market," according to the indictment.

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[–] Nobody@lemmy.world 100 points 11 months ago (4 children)

It’s not enough to destroy the earth. The ruling class needs hunting trophies of the species they’re driving extinct.

Our world is ruled by evil sociopaths. That’s the unifying theory that explains everything. Ruthless sociopaths with infinite money have declared war on the planet and everything that lives here.

[–] CherenkovBlue@iusearchlinux.fyi 42 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (4 children)

These guys are not part of "the ruling class." I live in this region and there is a backwards group of local asshats who feel entitled to hunt and kill protected creatures for profit or hunt using illegal methods and leave carcasses to waste for the sheer fun of it. These people are typically working class and this black market hunting would provide them with income they probably would not be able to get otherwise. We have a LOT of wild lands out here, it's a very rural area.

[–] solrize@lemmy.world 38 points 11 months ago

Question is what class are the buyers part of.

[–] dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 11 months ago

As the other person said, who do you think is buying them?

[–] vivadanang@lemm.ee 6 points 11 months ago

I don't think that's what they intended - these scumfucks enrich themselves by supplying the ruling class with these grisly trophies.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

Hicks are everywhere. These fuckers need to lose their freedom for a long time.

[–] GigglyBobble@kbin.social 12 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Are those people part of the ruling class? Never heard of them nor did a brief search bring anything up (I'm not American though).

Anyway, instead of calling it a "war" by the ruling class I prefer to explain stuff with Hanlon's Razor which fits here, too.

[–] squaresinger@feddit.de 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I do see what you mean, but I do have to disagree on that point.

Someone involved in illegal bird killing or other acts of environmental destruction (oil, gas, producing garbage, ...) most surely knows what the effects of their actions are, but their want for personal gain is bigger.

And the moral difference between doing something terrible out of mallice or greed is very small, if it even exists.

Slavery isn't better when it's done just for the money.

[–] GigglyBobble@kbin.social 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You're right about this specific case. Those guys were probably just greedy to the point of evil.

However, the comment I replied to made a pretty universal claim about rulers. And at least looking at our rulers in Europe I see more incompetence than malice.

[–] squaresinger@feddit.de 3 points 11 months ago

However, the comment I replied to made a pretty universal claim about rulers.

Yeah, universal statements tend to lack nuance.

But especially with the right-wing parties I see quite a bit of malice for the point of personal gain.

And at least in Austria, Germany and the UK the conservatives are so deep into working for personal gain, that they completely forget what would benefit the country and the people.

(I don't have enough deep enough insight into the governments of other countries in Europe to say anything about that, but from what I read, Hungary and Italy are not better off)

[–] Illuminostro@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

"So you see, that is why Evil will always triumph: because Good is dumb."

[–] Illuminostro@lemmy.world 45 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Give them The Promethean Punishment. Expose their livers, and let the birds have at it.

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 16 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Persians have you beat:

It ostensibly entailed trapping the victim between two boats, feeding and covering them with milk and honey, and allowing them to fester and be devoured by insects and other vermin over time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaphism

[–] MagicShel@programming.dev 46 points 11 months ago

That might be a worse fate, but it's not as poetic as being devoured by birds for the crime of murdering birds.

[–] JustZ@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Jfc.

[–] fung@sh.itjust.works 40 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Some people have zero respect for their own lives, and by extension, any living thing. Money insidiously affects all, whether you're a have or a have not.

We must try our best to nurture and understand our world instead of "conquering" it.

[–] xc2215x@lemmy.world 19 points 11 months ago

Glad they were charged. So many birds died.

[–] floridaman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

biggest montana crime of 2023

[–] xcutie@linux.community 0 points 11 months ago

Birds aren't real!

[–] cashews_best_nut@lemmy.world -1 points 11 months ago

🦅🔫🦅🔫🦅🔫

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